Various devices have previously been used to trail behind a haybaler for the purpose of stacking bales, either for immediate removal from field as in the case of a four wheel trailer, or for depositing small stacks in the field for further curing and later removal of the hay. An example of the latter system is a sled-type device or "stoocker" such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,833,109. Devices have been proposed for automatically stacking the bales on such a device and then depositing them on the field for later removal for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,270.
The present invention provides a novel and improved device for forming hay bales into stacks and depositing them in stacks which in accordance with the preferred mode of the invention contains thirty bales. The stacks provided by the device of the present invention are stable and can readily be moved again either by using the device itself or a conventional front end loader on a farm tractor. By the use of the device of the invention high moisture content hay can be baled and stacked in the field for further curing by the sun and wind. The resulting stacks are moisture shedding so that even if the stacks are rained upon, only the outer inch or two of the hay becomes weathered. The device of the present invention has the further advantage of simplicity and lack of wearing parts and is thus extremely durable.
Briefly summarized, the present invention provides a baler trailing assembly having an axle and two wheels provided with a hitch means adapted to be towed behind a hay baler on which is mounted a tiltable bale carrying bed of generally "L" shaped cross-section which is pivotable between an upward bale stacking position and a downward bale depositing position by pivoting about the axle, the forward portion of the bed being preferably formed of a metal grate or the like on which a bale stacking person can stand and equipped with side rails on which the bale stacking person can stand as the unit is tilted backward to deposit the bales. The rearward portion of the bale carrying bed consists of bale supporting tines spaced apart from each other a sufficient distance to allow hay bales to be positioned there-between at an angle such that only the corners of the lower row of bales touch the ground. It is important that the angle between the legs of the platform be greater than 90.degree. and preferably at least 93.degree. so that the stack as it is formed will lean slightly toward what becomes the front of the stack when deposited. It was originally attempted to use a bed in which the legs were perpendicular to each other but this resulted in the stacks being tilted backward by the momentum generated as the device was tipped down and the bales were deposited on the ground. By having the proper angle between the legs of the bale carrying platform oriented as indicated between 93.degree. and 120.degree., this problem is eliminated and the resultant stacks stand up vertically when deposited on the ground behind the travelling device.